30.6.15

Bowen-Miller Family Reunion

Call me crazy, but I love family reunions. Even when we pulled onto a dirt road with a ghetto sign that signified we had made it to Downata Idaho. Bart and I laughed, wondering how it was going to go. It was our first camping trip with Mckenzie and I really didn't know what to expect.

We got to the campsite on Thursday evening. The shade was in the perfect place and all the little babies were able to crawl and explore and Mckenzie was in heaven! You get that girl in a new setting, without restrictions, and she is the happiest she could be. We hung out, ate dinner and set up camp.

Bart has 8 other siblings. 6 step/siblings and 2 brothers. Everyone but 1 bother and wife was able to make it. We played sand volleyball Thursday night and even though I've never played a real game before- I totally rocked it! Bart was impressed and bitter when my team beat his. I think we both under estimate my skills sometimes. It was really fun though- I love being in a new setting and getting to know family better! It was the perfect night to do it.

Bedtime was pretty easy, and Mckenzie went right to sleep. I really had no idea how she was going to handle it. Let's just say it was the worst night I've had in a long time. Not to be dramatic- but it was horrible. Bart and I probably didn't get to sleep until close to 11 and she woke up around 1am because she was really cold. Normally I don't go get her during the night, but everyone was in tents around us and I didn't want to wake everyone up. So she joined me in my sleeping bag and it was straight up hell for the rest of the night. She went right back to sleep, but I was half in half out of my sleeping bag, freezing and trying to make sure she wasn't suffocating. I went in and out of sleep for the next several hours until she woke up screaming mad at 5am. She cries loudly for a while because she was awake, but wanted to be sleeping. Once we calmed her down she was wide awake and I was going to cry if we were going to have to start our day already. I said a little prayer that she would go back to sleep so I could get a nap in before the day started. Around 5:45 she went back to sleep until 8am. Never under estimate a tired mom's prayer!

Mckenzie is the 3rd of 6 new babies to join the family in the space of a year, so needless to say Mckenzie wasn't the only baby crying and we all woke up really tired Friday morning.

We spent the day hanging out, playing at the pool that's attached to the camp ground and keeping the babies happy. Napping is almost impossible. It's too hot in the tent to keep the baby in there, but taking the pack and play outside in the shade is too distracting for them to relax. Eventually Mckenzie figured it out and got a couple good naps in.

She was so much fun!! She loved playing with her cousins and all her aunts and uncles. I like just letting her be free and crawl and explore on her own as I watch in the distance. She is such a curious and mischievous baby- it's one of my favorite personality traits she has.

To end the reunion we all met back up at Bart's dad's house for family pictures. Almost 40 people- I was impressed it happened! At some point or another most babies were crying. I'm sure it was quite a scene to the outsider. I love being part of such a great family. Family is the greatest blessing of my life, and my in-laws are no exception to that blessing.

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Welcome to my online journal! Since 2010 I've been documenting my life, opinions and memories (sometimes more frequently than others). I am a wife, mom of 2, TV producer and aspiring minimalist who finds value in living with less. Follow along on IG @minimalistmeg